Traveling in Mandarin may initially seem intimidating, but picking up just a few simple phrases can make your trip much simpler and establish strong bonds with locals during your visit. No matter if it is mainland China, Taiwan or Hong Kong/Macau SARs, these helpful Chinese travel phrases will help get around more smoothly!
How to say “I’m sorry”
There are multiple ways of saying, “I apologize”, in Chinese. For more serious mistakes or when one feels regretful, the formal way is known as Dui Bu Qi and should only be used.
Mei Shi Er is an informal way of saying sorry that allows someone know that their apology has been accepted and appreciated.
Bao Qian is another suitable option for casual settings, offering similar characteristics to Mei Shi Er but with a slightly more formal tone.
How to say “thank you”
Traveling requires having some heartfelt phrases of gratitude in your arsenal. In China, one common way of showing thanks is Xie xie; its easy pronunciation also makes it the easiest. Adding “ni” or its polite form “nin” makes the sentence even more personal.
When speaking to groups of people, it’s customary to end your statements with “fei chang gan xie ni,” which translates as ‘thank you all!”. These phrases are typically used after formal presentations or ceremonies and can also be useful when dealing with strangers who help out!
How to say “I’m hungry”
Ta e le (, ta) in Chinese means, “I’m hungry”, making it an excellent way to initiate conversation with native Chinese speakers and show your enthusiasm in understanding more of Chinese culture and language. By adding Liao at the end, this phrase indicates change: it states that you weren’t hungry earlier but are now. Understanding this concept in Mandarin is crucial; almost as important as placing subjects before verbs!
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How to say “I’m tired”
Tiredness is an all-too-common experience in daily life. There may be various causes for our feelings of exhaustion, such as working too long days or lacking passion and motivation in life. When we become truly worn-out, the phrase “wo lei” (drained of all energy) comes into use to describe this state.
Sounding similar to English’very’, however it’s more casual and less formal in tone; often used on TikTok; its New England equivalent would be either “damn tired” or “wicked tired”.
How to say “I’m happy”
There are various ways of saying, “I’m happy” in Chinese. One popular expression is (Zhe w y) or (Zhng). This expression allows you to show someone how pleased and excited you are for them when they receive good news or an award.
Use (Gong Xi Ni) or (Zhng Bang), our free Chinese-English pronunciation app, to hear how these words sound in different languages and voices. Compatible with smartphones, tablets and desktop computers alike!